Rajinikanth (born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad on December 12, 1950 in Bangalore,
Karnataka, India)] is an Indian film actor and one of the most influential and
bankable movie stars in Indian cinema. <br /> Rajinikanth's mass popularity
and appeal is largely drawn from his mannerisms and stylized delivery of dialogue.<br
/> He received India's third highest honour, the Padma Bhushan, for his contribution
to Indian cinema.<br /> Apart from his film career, he is a well known
philanthropist and also serves as a notable influence in the politics of Tamil
Nadu. Other than acting, Rajinikanth worked as a screenwriter, film producer,
and also a playback singer.

Popularily referred to and credited in films as "Superstar" and often
called as thalaivar (meaning leader in Tamil), Rajinikanth debuted as an actor
in 1975 under the direction of K. Balachander in supporting roles. He was later
favored in portraying antagonistic characters and gradually rose to acting in
lead roles. Being a well known film artist to several regional film industries
of India, he also appeared in the cinemas of other nations, including American
cinema. He was reportedly paid Rs. 26 crore (about $5.3 million USD as of January
2009) for his latest blockbuster Sivaji: The Boss, making him the highest paid
actor in Asia after Jackie Chan.

Rajinikanth was born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in a Maratha family in Bangalore,
Karnataka. His ancestors are from the village of Nachikuppam in Krishnagiri
district, Tamil Nadu. He was the fourth child of his parents, Jijabai and Ramojirao
Gaekwad, a police constable.[1] He lost his mother at the age of eight. He attended
elementary school at the Acharya Paathshala in Basavanagudi, Bangalore and then
at the Vivekananda Balaka Sangha. Rajinikanth struggled a lot during his early
age because of his family's low income. Although his mother-tongue is Marathi,
he has not yet acted in any Marathi films.

He worked with various jobs in Bangalore and also attended a theatre for stage
plays. Before starting his career in the film industry, he used to practice
stunts at the Rama Hanuman Temple at a hill near his house. He then primarily
worked as a bus conductor for the Bangalore Transport Service in Bangalore.
His charisma and style were noted by the passengers who travelled with him and
gave him suggestions in becoming an actor. It was during this time that he nurtured
his acting interests by performing in various stage plays.

Rajinikanth joined the Madras Film Institute in 1973 along with a fellow bus
driver and completed a basic course in acting.

Rajinikanth has acted in over 150 films, which includes Tamil, Kannada, Telugu,
Malayalam, Hindi, English and Bengali films. Rajinikanth made a foray into Bollywood
with Andha Kanoon but did not make as much of an impact as he had in the south.
He still appeared in several Hindi films, such as Chaalbaaz, Uttar Dakshan,
Geraftaar and Hum. He made his debut in an American film, in a supporting role,
with the movie Bloodstone in 1988 with much fanfare in India at the time of
its release. However, the movie was unsuccessful in the United States. He also
made brief stints in German- and Japanese film industries. His film Muthu was
dubbed into Japanese and later turned out to become a major hit in the country,
ultimately creating a huge Japanese fan-following for him. In 2005, his film
Chandramukhi was dubbed in German and released in all German-speaking nations.

He married Latha Parthasarathy, sister of actor Y. G. Mahendran's wife, on February
26, 1981, at the age of 31 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and they have two daughters
named Aishwarya Rajinikanth and Soundarya Rajinikanth. Latha currently runs
a school named The Ashram. His elder daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth married
actor Dhanush on November 18, 2004 and they have one son named Yathra. His second
daughter, Soundarya Rajinikanth, works in the film industry as a director, producer
and graphic designer.